Healthy Teeth

 

    When I worked for a community action agency in Iowa, I created this handout. Most of the information bears repeating, with Halloween just around the corner. 

Probiotics. Prebiotics. and now, POSTBIOTICS???

    You have probably been hearing about probiotics, prebiotics, and how they make the gut healthier. Now, postbiotics are emerging on the scene.  What does all this mean? I'll go back a step and tell you a little about the backstory.      

> Microbiome: Your body has at least as many bacteria and other microorganisms as human cells.  You hear about the ones that cause sickness a lot; even more so now that we are in the midst of a pandemic. But, many of these "germs" are benign, and some are actually helpful. For example, if you are on antibiotics for long enough, you may get a fungal infection: the antibiotic kills the good bacteria, too, so they aren't there to fight against the fungus. And, some of the "germs" can also digest your food and give off "waste" that's good for you.  

    Your collection of good germs is a little different from anyone else's, both in types and in relative numbers.  In fact, they are about as unique to you as are your fingerprints. 

> Probiotics are good germs in your food. They usually don't take up permanent residence, but they can help you while they're with you. Advertising for some foods (for example, yogurt) boasts about having probiotics. Because your gut microbiome is unique, eating these foods helps some people more than others. The same is true for pre- and post-biotics. 

> Prebiotics are substances in food that promote the growth of probiotics, commonly, some types of the fiber in whole grains, vegetables, and fruit. In other words, prebiotics are foods for probiotics. 

> Postbiotics are compounds made in the food (by the biome) before you eat it. This is most common in fermentation, such as in sauerkraut, some kinds of pickles, sourdough bread, and some dairy products. Sometimes, the compounds outlive their producers.  For example, when sourdough bread rises, the yeast in it make it fluffier, and a special type of bacteria make it sour. When the bread is baked, the yeast and bacteria die in the heat, but the changes they made are still there, the bread tastes great, and some people can digest the bread more comfortably. 

    If your have concerns or questions about what this means for you, talk to your doctor or a dietitian. 

    Meanwhile, enjoy a variety of foods, follow public health guidelines - And Stay Healthy! 

Save Money - Stop Food Waste

++A lot of food is wasted in the USA.  How much do you contribute?

Some is wasted before it gets to the consumer's home (at processor, store, etc.).  Some is wasted in the home. Some is wasted at commercial and institutional food service sites.

These estimates of cost are from the EPA and USDA. They factor in a portion of the costs from outside the home, to get a cost per household:

• 40% of all food produced in this country is wasted 
• 133 billion pounds per year, $161 billion/year 
• $1500/year for a family of four; which works out to over 1200 calories/day per person.  

This doesn't just waste money, but it also causes other concerns:  By weight, 20%  of land fill waste is food.  As that decomposes, it produces methane, which is more powerful than carbon dioxide in creating the greenhouse affect that is changing our climate.

++What you can do:  

• Ask for smaller portion sizes when dining out - or be sure what's in that doggie bag will be eaten. Watch for portions sizes when eating at home or with friends.
• Love your left-overs.  Plan for ways to use them before they go bad.
• Plan meals and write a shopping list.  Stick to it. Pre-planning meals can also reduce stress.
• Buy the "uglies."  For example, if a piece of fruit is an odd shape, but you are going to chop it up before serving, shape doesn't matter.  If you don't buy it, it may start to soften instead of beng sold and get thrown away.  Sometimes, these are sold at a discount.  By the way, the fruit peel can be composted. You can get information on how to do that from the EPA website or your local Cooperative Extension. 
• Check your refrigerator temperature. For best shelf-life and food safety, it should be 34-41°F (1-5°C). And, don't overfill your refrigerator to the point that the door is hard to close.  This makes it hard to hold the temperature and causes it to run longer per cycle, costing you for electricity. 
• FIFO - first in, first out - rotate your stock when you are storing groceries so some food doesn't get shoved to the back so long that it spoils before you notice. 
• Interpret dates: "Sell by,"  "Use by," and "Best by" mean 3 different things.  You can contact the manufacturer to learn how dates are determined for a product - the contact information is usually on the label. 

++You could also enlist children to help. An older child might even enjoy being the family expert on some aspect of this, such as composting.

Nutrition Month, 2020

March is National Nutrition Month.  Visit eatright.org for more information.

Use this link for related word games.
 https://www.eatright.org/-/media/feature/eatright/campaign/article-hero/crossword-puzzle_462530267.jpg?h=524&w=1024&la=en&hash=09B9B82AB0D26896B3B46FB0E9AE0B3E474AFD1D